ATLANTA -- The pain evident on Tayshaun Prince's face after today's shootaround told only part of the story about the Detroit Pistons forward's sprained right ankle, which he said will not keep him from playing tonight here.

The immediate pain wasn't from the sprain itself but the ice encasing it.

"I'll just have to see when I get loose," Prince said. "I didn't get 100-percent loose at shootaround, so that's a totally different story. Hopefully, it won't be as stiff during a game, as opposed to shootaround."

Even if Prince plays, his effectiveness and how long he can go are questions that won't be answered until tonight.

"The key is going to be running at a full-speed and then trying to cut," he said.